Priest Murdered for His Cell Phone:

May he rest in peace+

AMERICA/COLOMBIA-The Chaplain of the University "Minuto de Dios" killed in the street to steal his mobile phone

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - The Eudista priest, father Gustavo Garcia, 34, Chaplain of the University "Minuto de Dios", was murdered in Bogotá by an individual who attacked him to steal his mobile phone, as confirmed by the Episcopal Conference of Colombia. In a statement from the Congregation of Jesus and Mary - Eudisti, of the province "Minuto de Dios", signed by the Provincial Superior Fr. Guillermo Acero, states that Father Gustavo García Bohórquez died on Thursday, May 12 at 6.30pm. "Father Gustavo - reported in a statement received by Fides - was waiting for the bus on road 68, to go and look after a patient; he was talking on the phone when a criminal surprised and robbed him, and badly injured him with a knife. He was transported to the Colombia Clinic, in Colsánitas, unfortunately he arrived in critical conditions and died shortly after. "

Father Gustavo Garcia was born on September 21, 1976 in Bogotá. After participating in prayer groups, he had entered the Congregation of Jesus and Mary on April 16, 2005. He studied philosophy at the 'University' Minuto de Dios " and theology at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. He was ordained a priest on March 31, 2007. Between 2007 and 2010 he was vicar of the parish of St. John Eudes, in Quito, Ecuador. Since July 2010 he was engaged with the Association "El Minuto de Dios": he exercised his ministry of preaching with the groups of the same association, in parish communities and through media. He was chaplain of the University Minuto de Dios in Bogotá and assistant to the youth community of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
Even the President of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, during the ceremony of inauguration of a part of the port of Buenaventura, recalled this tragic event: "A murder has been committed that has deeply affected all of us Colombians: the killing of the Chaplain of the University Minuto de Dios (Father Gustavo Garcia Bohorquez), which occurred in Bogota. Apparently he was killed for a cell phone. I of course condemn this murder. Father (Diego) Jaramillo, who is the director of El Minuto de Dios, this morning, in an act of spiritual nobility, said that he has forgiven the murderers. I admire the noble spirit and I know that it belongs to the divine law, but I am subject to the Colombian law and the law of the land. So I want to announce that these murderers must feel the full weight of the law. I have already told the police to offer a reward and to look into the matter so as to bring the Chaplain's murderer or murderers to trial. "
After the funeral, in the parish of San Juan Eudes in Bogota, the priest's body will be buried at the cemetery of eudista in Valmara. (EC) (Agenzia Fides 05/14/2011)

 

Posted via email from deaconjohn's posterous